Stories of Teenagers
These stories represent what many teenagers are going through today. Parents need to be aware of what their kids may be dealing with and educated on how they can be proactive in their parenting. Ideally, before their kids get to this point:
Amanda is 16, and she just wants to fit in. On the inside, she feels insecure, sometimes left out. She compensates by doing the things the “cool people” at school do. Lately, that includes drinking and trying the drugs they seem to enjoy.
Matt was given a painkiller prescription when he got hurt playing football, and he enjoyed how the pills made him feel. They were easy to get, and using them became a habit. Now, he can’t stop. Stealing money from his parents is getting harder, so heroin is looking like an easier high.
Sarah likes to party. She enjoys having a wild time because it gives her an identity with her friends—she’s somebody! And it’s fun, at least for a while. She’s been going too far lately, and she knows it, but she sees little reason to turn back now. After all, she’s the “party girl!”
Josh is depressed, and at times he feels virtually hopeless. He has felt “down” for so long that he is wondering if he will ever feel “normal” again. He is becoming so desperate that he will do almost anything to feel better, or to not feel at all.
Samantha started taking Xanax to help her deal with her anxiety, but the situation has gotten out of control. She is having blackouts more often now when she doesn’t remember what she did the night before. That worries her, but she doesn’t know if she can stop.
Brad started drinking in high school. He loved how it made him feel, more relaxed and able to have fun—to be included—than he had been able to feel before. Now, he never goes out without including alcohol in his plans.
